Malazan Book of the Fallen
A Tale of the Malazan Book of the Fallen is an epic fantasy series written by Canadian author Steven Erikson. The series is planned to have a total of ten books. The series is truly epic in scope, and features a massive cast of characters. Each book weaves a different chapter of the ongoing saga of the Malazan Empire and its wars (The exception being Midnight Tides which is a side story featuring the Letherii Empire). The first five books tell a story which is primarily self contained, with the smaller plots resolved within the novel. However, the primary story arc developes throughout all of the novels. The characters, events, and locations bind together story, and connect the various novels together. The Malazan world was created by Steven Erikson and Ian Cameron Esslemont in 2005. Esslemont, who does not co-author Eriksons books, has planned five books which take place in the same world, with a different cast of characters. Books in the Series *Gardens of the Moon *Deadhouse Gates *Memories of Ice *House of Chains *Midnight Tides *The Bonehunters *Reaper's Gale *Toll the Hounds *Dust of Dreams *The Crippled God Author The Malazan world were created by both Steven Erikson and Ian Cameron Esslemont in 1992 as a backdrop for a role-playing game using a modified version of the Dungeons and Dragons rule set. By 1986 the Malazan world had developed to a similar world as that found in the novels. At this point Erikson and Esslemont developed a movie script titled "Gardens of the Moon", which was to play on the interactions of the patrons of a drinking establishment in the fictional city of Darujhistan. The script failed to be picked up. Erikson developed Gardens of the Moon into a novel around 1991 - 1992, though it was first published in 1999. Esslement's first published Malazan story, "Night of Knives" was released in 2005, and it is currently planned to be followed by four additional novels. Erikson has stated that he and Esslemont will eventually work together to bring "The Encyclopedia Malaz" to the masses. When interviewed Erikson indicated that he had maps, notes, scribblings, etc. in a similar way to Tolkien's Silmarillion. Plot Lines The Malazan series does not follow a linear plot, that is, the novels within the series are not produced in a chronological A then B then C fashion. Instead, the novels occour a semi-linear fashion, often having a novel cover one area of the world at a specific time, while the next novel overlaps the same time frame but in a different area of the world. The first novel "Gardens of the Moon" introduces the main players in the series. Plot lines include the struggle for power within the city Darujhistan, the war on Genabackis, and the introduction of a new threat on Genabackis . . . The Pannion Domin. The second novel, "Deadhouse Gates", takes place on the Seven Cities subcontinent and follows the Whirlwind Rebellion, focusing on a march across the continent called the Chain of Dogs, and the rising of Sha'ik. The third novel "Memories of Ice" takes place back on Genabackis and follows the uneasy alliance of Caladan Brood and Onearms Host against the Pannion Domin. Memories of Ice takes place during the same time as Deadhosue Gates. The fourth Novel "House of Chains" occours back in Seven Cities, and follows the Empress' Adjunct Tavore Paran and her quest to squash the Rebillion in Seven Cities. This novel also follows the quests and trials of Karsa Orlong, a Toblakai warrior setting out across the world. The fifth Novel "Midnight Tides" follows the clash of the United Tiste Edur tribes and the Letherii Empire. This novel does not feature characters seen in other novels (with the exception of Trull Sengar). The sixth novel "The Bonehunters" combines all of the previous strands and plots, with the armys converging on Seven Cities, and the Letherii setting out in search of warriors to battle their immortal emporer. The seventh novel "Reapers Gale" (Currently the last published novel) takes the Malazan armies to the Letherii homeland. Races There are a number of intelligent human, humanoid, and non-humanoid races in the Malaza world. References are made to races which walked the Malazan world hundreds of thousands of years prior to the events in the series.